When Universal finally greenlit Wicked, casting director Bernard Telsey was certainly aware of the musical.
He welcomed Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth to Broadway’s iconic cast when it first opened in 2003, and has been searching for actresses to play Elphaba and Glinda on stage for years ever since.
When it came to casting the movie, his idea was, “I know the producer Marc Platt, I know the director Jon M. Chu, and I know musicals, so let’s bring in some great, favorite people.” he laughed.
Telsey has been nominated for five Altios Awards and is among the first Oscar casting nominees for Wicked: For Good, along with partner Tiffany Canfield. Telsey, who has years of experience in film, television, and theater casting, admits that the casting process for the film “wasn’t that easy.”
The musical’s casting was different than previous ones, Telsey explains. “We’re looking for two women who have the stamina to sing these songs eight times a week. There’s a big demand for voices in that show and that music. It’s been going on for almost 24 years, so people know the material.” “You need two women with the vocal talent, the acting talent, and all the other abilities that come with the demands of those roles. But with theater, it starts with singing.”
Casting for this film was a completely different story. No one received an offer, and everyone had to go through the casting process, “no matter how many Tony Awards, Oscars, or theater credits they had.”
Telsey spoke with Variety via Zoom about his process and thoughts on Oscar’s new casting.
When the “Wicked” movie was finally greenlit, how many sheets of paper did you and Tiffany have to brainstorm names?
It was difficult. The directive from Universal and Mark and John was that their roles were very iconic and different from most movies. Once you get the script, only the people involved know what’s really going on. Everyone knows who these two women are. They know Idina and Kristen from their albums, so the legacy of these two characters, I don’t want to use the word Olympians, but they were expected to be two great people. We don’t care if it’s a college girl or a Broadway, movie, TV, or music girl.
Everyone had to participate in the process. What I really like about this movie is that there’s a process called casting. It’s a verb, it’s an action, and we found all the people using this process. There were no offers. That was our job, to convince agents and stakeholders that this is a work in progress, that it’s not going to end anytime soon, and that you need to come on board and be a part of it.
Start with Ariana Grande: You’re not watching or listening to a singer or superstar. She really disappears into Glinda. When you offered her the role, or when you watched her audition, how did you know that wasn’t going to show in her performance?
we didn’t know. you wanted it. I saw her on “13: The Musical” and “Hairspray Live,” which we were in, but you don’t know her. So no matter how many Tony Awards, Oscars, and theater credits he had, no one was offering him anything. she came. Those were some of the things that John and all of us worked on with her, how to approach Glinda’s vocals rather than Ariana’s vocals. And she did it. She has great instruments and great crafts. She worked on it vocally with her team and vocal coach. she did her homework.
We talked about the casting of Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, but are there any memorable moments from the casting that haven’t been talked about yet?
This is Jonathan, because it was really hard for Tiffany and I to get through. Jonathan Bailey was someone Tiff and I both knew as a casting director. I knew he danced and I had always been a fan. We were almost about to start casting, and God bless his manager, Duncan Millership, he made a wise call and said, “Johnny Bailey is coming through New York, and he wants to take the General with him. It was amazing and everything we just met. You’ve seen him in all the press and talk shows, but the qualities came through. And to get to know him even a little bit, it was like, “Oh my God, he’s got everything.” That’s what Fierro needs.”
We were scheduled to start “Wicked” in two months, but he wasn’t available. He just got “Fellow Travelers” and “Bridgeton” was a hit. We went for months to meet all kinds of actors and good actors, but we just couldn’t find that magical person who was the perfect fit for Fierro. And of course, in the back of our minds, we were like, “It’s Jonathan who’s fucking Bayley.” We were calling Duncan every few weeks, hoping someone’s schedule would change. And that’s the only good thing I can say about coronavirus. That’s because the coronavirus outbreak occurred and the schedule changed after that.
We already had two women, Cynthia and Ariana. So the stakes were even higher for Fierro, as it was a bigger role than Broadway. So, luckily when our schedule changed between “The Fellow Traveler” and “Bridgerton,” their schedule changed as well. So he came and John Chu was crazy to see him. I set up a meeting for all of us in London. And he auditioned. It was like magic. God bless Jonathan. Because I think he was literally filming all three of these things at the same time, traveling from Toronto to London.
You talked about Cynthia. What was it like watching her bring this role to life?
Oh, I get chills. The challenge was how to let people know she was more than just a musical theater gal. We can also assume that she will play the second half of the movie, as she is very strong and Joan of Arc-like. But will she experience the same vulnerability and heartbreak that she did earlier in the film? She came in, stripped of everything but her heart, and just stood there singing. She was very vulnerable and just let everything happen to Elphaba. It was very moving.
There are a lot of cameos for theater lovers, but are there any cameos that we’ve been in or that we’re really looking forward to?
Adam James plays Glinda’s father. I saw him on Broadway. What was great about this? We’re in London. We bring in all your favorite stage actors to take on these roles, from Bear Sharon D. Clark to Adam James. he was great. I love that he was not only in the first part, but also in the birthday scene in the second part. So, it’s my personal favorite.
The Oscars have finally confirmed the casting. How do you feel now, all these years later?
The fact that the Oscars recognize this category couldn’t be more amazing. It’s big because it’s visible. The Oscars are like Mount Everest. It’s not about winning, it’s about being recognized and accepted. It’s important to understand that it’s a career, a profession, and those people didn’t just star in that movie. I think about the Lynn Starmaster and Marion Doherty movies and how many Oscars and nominations they could get. It’s really exciting to know that my colleagues will be recognized in this way.
